1 9 4 2
March Contractors
trials.
2nd Commissioned for service as HMS
AVENGER.
(Note
: One source records name was not used until ship sailed for UK on 30th April.)
15th Build completion and sea acceptance
trials.
April Sea
Trials and shakedown in continuation
18th Broke down on trials and taken to Staten Island for repair.
Prepared
for ocean passage on completion.
30th Joined US military Convoy AT15 for
passage to Clyde.
(Note
: AT Series convoys comprised large passenger liners used
as
troopships.
British convoy
identity AT was used for convoys to Tobruk from Alexandria.)
May On
arrival in Clyde taken in hand for modifications to suit RN service.
(Note : Work
done included lengthening of Flight Deck.)
June Under
conversion
July Nominated
for service with Home Fleet
On completion of
conversion worked-up for service in Clyde
area.
August Work-up in continuation.
17th On completion embarked 825 Squadron SWORDFISH aircraft and
personnel, SEA
HURRICANE
aircraft and personnel of 802 and 8783 Squadrons.
September Nominated
for defence of Russian convoy.PQ18
which sailed from Loch Ewe on 2nd.
9th Deployed as part of escort for Convoy
PQ18 during passage to Kola Inlet, screened
by
HM Destroyers WHEATLAND and WILTON. Operation EV)
(Note:
For details of all Russian convoy defence deployments see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA
by
RA Ruegg, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and CONVOY ! by
P
Kemp.)
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol 2 for details of role of the ship and the
inadequacies
of her capabilities for this deployment.
13th HURRICANE aircraft launch delayed by
slow reaction to sudden air attack by
dive
bombers and torpedo aircraft.
Six
mercantiles were sunk and five aircraft lost in the sustained enemy onslaught
See references.
14th SWORDFISH aircraft sighted U589 in
process of submerging and reported the position.
(Note
: U589 was subsequently sunk by HM Destroyers ONSLOW, IMPULSIVE,
and
FAULKNOR. See references.
17th Detached from PQ18 with Fighting Escort
to join return convoy QP14 to provide air cover
during
passage to Loch Ewe.
20th Detached from QP14 with HM Cruiser
SCYLLA, HM Destroyers FURY, WHEATLAND
and
WILTON and returned to Scapa Flow. See references for details.
24th Disembarked Squadrons at Scapa Flow.
October Home
Fleet deployment in continuation.
Nominated
for support of allied landings in North Africa (Operation TORCH).
22nd Embarked 802 and 883 Squadrons SEA HURRICANE aircraft and
personnel together with
833B
Squadron SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel.
Joined
military Convoy KMS1G for passage to Gibraltar to join Eastern Naval Task
Force.
(Note
: HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS, FORMIDABLE and FURIOUS, HM Escort
Aircraft
Carriers BITER and DASHER was also deployed for support of TORCH.
See
The Naval
Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett.)
November
6th Entered Mediterranean and provided air
cover for assault convoy.
8th Deployed in support of landings at Algiers with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD, SCYLLA and
CHARYBDIS
in Force O.
10th Under repair in Algiers harbour.
Transferred
four HURRICANE aircraft to HMS ARGUS.
12th Withdrawn from TORCH after end of
assault phase.
13th Joined military convoy MKF1 to provide
air cover during return passage to UK
15th During passage with MKFI in Atlantic torpedoed by U155.
Impact
caused fire and immediate explosion in bomb room which sank the ship very
quickly
in
position 36.15N 07.45W, west of Gibraltar
Only
12 of ship's company survived. This ship was the largest warship sunk during
operations
associated with TORCH. (Casualty
List -
note
on casualties)
(Note
: The sudden sinking of this ship and the later loss of HMS DASHER a sister
Escort
Carrier resulted in an investigation into the safety standards for the stowage
of
petrol and bombs, known to be below those used for RN ships, required to
be
improved. As a result all US built Escort Carriers in
service and under
conversion
to suit RN use were modified.)
